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Q-Less (episode)
Archaeologist Vash arrives from the Gamma Quadrant as Q plagues the station and an unknown force threatens to destroy it. Summary Dax returns from the Gamma Quadrant and her runabout carries a woman whom O'Brien recognizes as Vash. Although the crew is unaware of his presence, Q – a semi-omnipotent prankster – has also stowed away on the runabout. Vash explains that she has spent the past two years in the Gamma Quadrant, but she describes her method of getting there as a "private matter." Soon after Vash's arrival, the station begins to experience power drains similar to those experienced by Dax's runabout. In the meantime, Q appears to Vash, apparently infatuated with her. Q was the one who transported Vash to the Gamma Quadrant two years ago, but now she wants nothing to do with him, much to Q's annoyance. Quark arranges to auction off various items Vash has found in the Gamma Quadrant, most notably an unknown but extremely valuable crystal of some kind, and in the meantime O'Brien spots Q. O'Brien warns Sisko of Q's presence and the likely cause of the power drains. Q denies any wrongdoing, although he offers no alternative explanation. Q challenges Sisko to a boxing match on the Promenade, and they suddenly are wearing antique-style boxing costumes. A few punches are thrown, and Q is shocked when Sisko knocks him down. As the power drains become more severe, a graviton field begins pulling the station toward the nearby wormhole. Vash and Quark go about their auction and the crystal receives bids in excess of one thousand bars of gold-pressed latinum. Casually joining the bid process, Q ups the ante on Vash's crystal to 2500 bars before bidding one million. Soon after, however, the source of the gravimetric field and the power is found to be the crystal. The crystal is beamed into space before it can destroy the station, and once outside, it reveals itself to be an embryonic lifeform and travels into the wormhole. In the end, Vash decides to go to Earth to live a nice, quiet life and asks Q not to disturb her. However, on hearing from Quark of some recent archaeological discoveries on Tartaras V, she accepts the challenge: "What's the shortest way to Tartaras V?." Log Entries *''Station log, stardate 46531.2. The station's power is continuing to be drained and converted into gravitons. At this rate, our life support systems will fail in fourteen hours. '' *''Station log, stardate 46532.3. With the embryonic lifeform off the station, graviton levels have returned to normal. We've used the control thrusters to return the station to its original position. '' Memorable Quotes "It's got to be Q, another one of his stupid jokes." "I'm not laughing." : - Miles O'Brien and Benjamin Sisko "You hit me... Picard never hit me." "I'm not Picard." "Indeed not. You're much easier to provoke. How fortunate for me." : - Q''' and '''Benjamin Sisko "Enterprise''? Oh yes, weren't you one of the little people?" : - '''Q' to Miles O'Brien, on their last meeting "An abysmal place, Earth. Oh, don't get me wrong. A thousand years ago it had character: the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, Watergate. Now it's just mind-numbingly dull." : - Q''' "These mating rituals you Humans indulge in are really quite disgusting." : - '''Q "My GOD you're an impertinent waiter!" : - Bashir, to Q after the latter tells him to stay away from Vash while Q is posing as a waiter at the Replimat "It's over Q! I want you out of my life! You're arrogant, you're overbearing, and you think you know everything!" "But... I '''do' know everything." "''That makes it even worse." : - Vash and Q''' "But it's not going to be the same without you. When I look at a gas nebula, all I see is a cloud of dust, but seeing the universe through your eyes I was able to experience... wonder. I'm going to miss that." : - '''Q, to Vash Background Information * Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko) does not appear in this episode. * This is the only episode of the entire DS9 series in which John de Lancie (Q) appears. It also marks the last appearance of Vash. * This is the second of John de Lancie's three appearances on Star Trek during the 1992-1993 season. He previously appeared in and appeared again in . * This episode contains Deep Space Nine's third reference to the animated television series . The name of the planet Hoek IV in the episode is named after the main character "Ren Höek." The first two Ren and Stimpy references are found in , where the Ren and Stimpy inspired names Surmak Ren and Spumco are referenced. * According to the Deep Space Nine Companion, the scene in which Q is surprised that Sisko has hit him, is a sign of the writers' attempts to differentiate Sisko's character from Picard. * Armin Shimerman's line "bid high and bid often" is a reference to a quote attributed to the late , "vote early and vote often". (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) * Robert Hewitt Wolfe debuts on Deep Space Nine. * Julian Bashir relates the story about his final exam when he confused a pre-ganglionic fiber with a post-ganglionic nerve for the first time. * John de Lancie has spoken of his disappointment with this episode, and he agrees with fans who say that Q is acting out of character (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion) Video and DVD releases *UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 4, . *As part of the DS9 Season 1 DVD collection. *As part of the Star Trek: Fan Collective - Q collection. Links and References Guest Stars *Jennifer Hetrick as Vash *John de Lancie as Q Co-Stars *Van Epperson as a Bajoran Clerk *Tom McCleister as Kolos *Laura Cameron as a Bajoran Woman Uncredited Co-Stars *Robin Morselli as a Bajoran officer References Andorian silk; assay office; boxing; Brax; Cardassian; cloud dancers; couscous; Crusades; Daystrom Institute; Delta Quadrant; distant past; duranium; early history; embryonic lifeform; ''Enterprise''-D, USS; Erabus Prime; Errikang system; Errikang VII; Epsilon Hydra system; Epsilon Hydra VII; Federation Archaeology Council; Gamzian wine; ''Ganges'', USS; graviton;gravimetric field; Hoek IV; Kolos; Klingon scout ship; Lantar Nebula; latinum; MK-7 scanner; MK-12 scanner; Mulzirak; Mulzirak transport; Mundahla; Myrmidon; oo-mox; Pauley; Picard, Jean-Luc; Promethean quartz; Q; Quark's; Replimat; Rokai; Rokain; Rul the Obscure; Sampalo relics; Sherwood Forest; Spanish Inquisition; Stol; Surax; Tanesh pottery; Tartaras system; Tartaras V; Teleris Cluster; tridium; Vadris III; Verath system; Verathan; Watergate; Woo External links * * |next= }} Category:DS9 episodes de:Q - Unerwünscht es:Q-Less nl:Q-Less